so its been a while... Sorry about that. Its been pretty crazy...

The biggest news is that my car died. Two weeks ago the problems started. As if there weren't any problems already! I had it taken to the shop, but they didn't get to it till a week later. When they did, they let it warm up in the shop for a few hours before working on it. And magically, when it was warm, it worked fine. Go figure. So I got it back, and it ran a grand total of 2 days before dying again. So now it is sitting in a parking lot, waiting for me to figure out what the heck I am going to do about it. So please pray for wisdom :)

Thanksgiving was fun. I was supposed to go to the Ranch, but without a car, that would be a long walk in the snow. So I stayed in town and went to a co-worker's house. Instead of the traditional American Thanksgiving, we celebrated with a mix of Scandinavian and Danish styles. Turkey? Naw, its all about the goose! The cranberry sauce was made fresh from berries that my co-workers picked this fall here in Anchorage. Of course, I took my cello and provided some dessert melodies. All in all, it was a grand day, even though I wish I could have been with my own family.

a day off

Thursday I had the day off. I had plans to go places, but my car had other plans. (more on that later) So I went out for a walk, just to get out of my apartment. For those of you who don't know anchorage, it has a pretty extensive trail system running throughout the city. In the winter, some of the trails are groomed for cross-country skiers. Not that I cross country ski... but they are also good for walking. So I ventured out to the closest trail to my apt, and these are a few of the sights that I saw. Yes, these were taken with my camera phone. Let's just say getting my camera fixed is hovering somewhere not on the list of top priorities right now.

water would splash on the branch hanging over the water, freezing on as it dripped down

A frozen spot of Campell Creek with a foot bridge in the distance

Snow covered branches hanging over Campell Creek

I love the colors in this one-the hint of yellow in the weeds and a touch of red in the trees-as Campell Creek flows by half frozen

fun weekend

probably the only weekend until Christmas time that I will have an entire weekend off, I took full advantage of it. I did a bit of cooking, and participated in my first "real" Alaskan experience.

Potter's Marsh is about a mile south of town, where the Seward highway hits the flat lands. It was formed when the Alaska railroad was built. Now it provides a sanctuary of sorts for wildlife, and a great half mile slough for skaters in the winter. There were a few holes (from gas bubbles, not thin ice!) and we figured we had 4-5 inches of ice under us. It snowed about an inch on us the 2 hours we were out there, but when I got back to my apartment, there were hardly even flurries. Not to worry though! As the night went on, the snow decided to come up here, and I am looking out at 2-3 inches on the ground.

Ken, a guy at church, is notorious for counting down the days of darkness we have left. He said today that we only have 6 weeks left of it!! And it hasn't been too horrible. Yeah sure its hard to get out of bed before the sun at 8am... and watching it get dark at around 4:30 is a little sad, but its not unbearable, and its not nearly as horrible as everyone makes it out to be. Between winter and work, I am loving life here in Alaska!

dinner friday night!

living confidently

A common question asked of me is something along the lines of "what are you doing after graduation?" It's hard for me to answer the question honestly and positively, because I am struggling to get to my feet at this point. Yes I am working, but not in a job that has anything to do with my degree. Talking with co-workers, they ask what in the world I am doing working there. As frustrating as it is, It isn't shaking me. I am done questioning whether I am in the right spot or not, because God is showing me often that this is where He wants me. How do I know? Its not like I have the dream job or anything. Should I be upset that I don't have an aviation job right now? Wouldn't God provide that for me if He really meant for me to be here? I say no.

A friend told me a couple months ago that I should not see God as a sugar daddy. Yes, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but He isn't in the business of delivering life on a silver platter to those who follow Him faithfully. Instead of a silver platter, he is giving me puzzle pieces, like i mentioned a while back. The most recent one happened 2 weeks ago when my parents were here. I am getting little glimpses, huge blessings, that tell me I am where He wants me.

Mom and dad came for a week to help me get some furniture and get set up in my apartment. They rented a truck so we could transport everything, hoping we would be able to find a few things for really really cheap on craigslist and such. We got ready to go garage sale-ing Saturday morning. As I sat down to look up the local garage sales (beginning of october gets to be slim pickings around these parts) I prayed that God would just provide the right stuff at decent prices.

So we set out, stop at a few sales that didn't have much, and weren't very good prices. As we were driving around, mom saw a box in the median advertising a sale. Couldn't hurt to stop and check it out, right? So we went in to look around, and everything was priced to clear out. The owner of the stuff, an 80+ year old woman, had just moved to Oregon to get away from the snow and ice. Her kids are still here, and they are selling her household of stuff. So I got: a hide-a-bed couch, a lazyboy love seat, both sides recline, 4 upholstered dining room chairs, a bookshelf, a desk, a full size bed, a hoover vacuum cleaner, and a few other odds and ends. And all of this? 90 bucks. I would say God provided much more than I needed, all in one day. We spent the rest of the week taking care of other important things like getting me stocked up on food (love costco), a few other furniture things we didnt get at the sales, and wintery goods (studs will be nice when the snow comes). It was a crazy, busy, productive, blessed week, and I am glad I got to show my parents around a little bit of Alaska.

Anchorage at sunset (as seen from Pt. Woronzof)